One major recruitment strategy of Teachers Like Me is to provide “The School Zone,” a teacher village of affordable housing for teachers recruited from outside of Kansas City. The School Zone creates community for the cohort of teachers, and is a part of our retention strategy to provide affordable rent for three years of teaching, while educating teachers and students about financial empowerment and home ownership. Having all teachers living in the community they serve while building generational wealth, for us, is a sign of ultimate success.

We believe a key strategy to increasing quality Black teachers in Kansas City is to remove barriers to entry while providing the support they need to be responsive to the academic and social needs of students. With a safe space to live within the community, the housing barrier is removed. Teachers without barriers are more inclined to create learning environments where excellence is cultivated and potential is limitless.